Ube Launches WiFi Smart Dimmer on Indiegogo

The WiFi-connected Smart Dimmer works in conjunction with a smartphone app.

A company named Ube (pronounced “yoo-bee”) is inviting homeowners to get in on the ground floor of a new smart dimmer. The company just launched its Smart Dimmer product via the crowdfunding site Indiegogo.

The Smart Dimmer can replace pretty much any light switch or dimmer. Once installed, it hooks to your home’s WiFi and allows users control via Ube’s smartphone app. That means you can dim the lighting or flip lights on and off from anywhere with a web connection, both in and outside of the home.

The Ube Smart Dimmer uses standard IP protocol to communicate with the cloud and with the Ube smartphone control app.

Some of the Smart Dimmer features include lighting scenes, an away mode, and the option to work with any 120-volt dimmable bulb including incandescent, fluorescent and LED. Each dimmer can also supply energy reports through the app, so users can keep tabs on their energy bills.

Ube also plans to publish an open API, so that developers can create their own SW apps to control Ube Smart Dimmers.

Ube has set a pre-order price on its Smart Dimmer of $49 and $69, depending on the model. There are also package prices, which include anywhere from three to 20 dimmers. The app, however, will be a free download. Currently, the Indiegogo campaign has 45 days to reach its $700,000 goal. Users that pre-order the Smart Dimmer can expect the company to deliver the product starting in June 2013.